London 2012: 5 Athletes We Can't Wait to See at the Olympics

Striving to break world records, earn coveted gold medals and even just earn the chance to be a part of the U.S. Olympic team, the following are five athletes who we can’t wait to see at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Whether you’re excited for swimming, track, basketball or gymnastics, you are sure to be impressed by these athletes. Some are going to be competing for the first time amongst the world's greatest athletes.

Michael Phelps

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At a towering 6'4", Michael Phelps appears to be physically made to be a swimmer. However, despite his 80-inch wingspan (which extends two inches past that of his height) and his size 14 feet, it’s his drive and determination that make Phelps such a sight to behold when he’s in the water.

With the way he seems to effortlessly cut through the water length after length, it’s no wonder Phelps is currently the record holder for most Olympic medals held by any male athlete.

Phelps, who turns 27 at the end of the month, has 16 Olympic medals—14 gold medals and two bronze.

He has also set numerous records, including breaking Mark Spitz’ record of seven gold medals won in a single Olympic game. In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Phelps shattered this record, winning eight gold medals.

The Baltimore native is no stranger to setting records, having set his first record at the age of 15 in the pool at the University of Texas in Austin, when he swam the 200 fly in 1:34:92.

Just this past week, Phelps set another record in the same pool during the Austin Elite, when he placed first in the 100 fly with an amazing time of 52.02 seconds.

Will Phelps be able to break the ultimate record of winning a total of 18 Olympic medals—a record still held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina—when he gets to London?

Brady Ellison

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Scoring an impressive 149 points—20 points ahead of second place contender and fellow Olympic teammate Jake Kaminski—at the U.S. Olympic Trials Third Nomination Shoot in Colorado Springs, Ellison proved once again that his mastery of the bow makes him a threat for Olympic gold.

Having placed 27th at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Ellison is striving to prove that the U.S. archery program is not a just a fad created by Hollywood, but a program that is deserving of the world's attention.

Since the age of seven, when Ellison picked up his first bow, he has proven himself to be one of the game's sharpest shooters. Even U.S. coach Kisik Lee has called Ellison the best archer in the world.

Having won 35 of 37 international matches, and achieved an amazing record of becoming the first archer to ever win gold medals in each of the four locations of the Archery World Cup, Ellison is definitely an athlete to watch and be wowed by this summer.

Jordan Burroughs

Despite his entry onto the U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team by default—Andrew Howe had to drop out due to a knee injury—Jordan Burroughs has his eyes set on gold in London.

With the 23-year-old's twitter account already a reference to his target for this summer's Olympic Games—his handle is @alliseeisgold—Burroughs is displaying confidence, and rightfully so, as he sports an impressive track record.